Anna is Eleven!

Recently in the comments section someone said we had a lot packed into a couple of weeks. Yes, we do! Christmas, Marc's birthday, anniversary, and now Anna's birthday! Thankfully, she has developed a taste for the simple, so I didn't have to worry about a big party or even a cake (she wants me to make M&M brownies). But after this, there will be no more celebrating around here. We're going to buckle down and get some homeschooling done. No fun what-so-ever. Giggle

Continuing with the birthday theme from Ryne and Grace's birthdays, here are 11 things I love about Anna:

11. She's smarter than Marc and I put together.

10. She LOVES to read. I can't get books from the library fast enough for this kid. Tonight I enjoyed listening to her and Marc read from The Fellowship of the Ring.

9. She makes treasure out of trash. Never go in her closet -- you're likely to find plastic bakery containers or cracker boxes that she plans to transform into something amazing.

8. She'd rather meet Hannah from the Bible than Hannah Montana.

7. She's self-motivated and a hard worker. She hated to miss swim practice when we went to Denver for Christmas, because up to then she had perfect attendance.

6. She's a dreamer and a planner, and the more far-fetched the better.

5. She loves to cook and bake. I'm hoping that soon she will be taking over the dinner duties. (Did I mention that I'm a dreamer too?)

4. She knows how to praise God. When she was little we taught her to pray using the ACTS method (Adoration-Confession-Thanksgiving-Supplication) and she really grasped the adoration part. I love listening to her pray, and I wish it came as naturally to me.

3. She's shy, but not too afraid to take a chance. She completely surprised me last month when she said she wanted to play a piano piece at the church Christmas program despite not having had a lesson in six months.

2. She understands Ryne when no one else does. Ryne has had some fantastic people work with him over the years, but no one has helped him more than Anna.

1. She is fearfully and wonderfully made in God's image.

Happy Birthday, Anna!